Masters Degree Programs for Public Health Careers in Maine

Evidence of Maine’s commitment to improved health outcomes for its citizens can be found throughout the state, with the most significant gains being made through the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

The DHHS, which has an annual budget of more than $3.4 billion and employs more than 3,400 people, serves nearly one-third of all Maine residents, providing health care and social services that support families, the elderly, children, the disabled, people with mental illnesses or substance abuse issues, and the poor.

The overriding mission of the DHHS is to provide integrated health and human services and to assist individuals in meeting their needs. One of the main goals of the DHHS is to make public health services widely accessible through programs and initiatives like:

The Child and Adult Care Food Program, which ensures proper nutrition in early care settings

Healthy Homes and the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, which provides risk assessments in homes and case management and care services

As of fiscal year 2013-14, the public health budget in Maine was $28 million, with an additional $35 million in funding coming from the CDC. Some of the largest programs during the same period, in terms of funding, were:

Chronic disease prevention and health promotion: $9 million

Immunization and respiratory diseases: $2 million

Public health preparedness and response: $5 million

Vaccines for children: $12 million

Maine’s Public Health Programs and the Professionals that Support Them

The coordinated efforts of Maine’s public health sector are carried out by experts and specialists from nearly every field, including public health nurses, outreach specialists, program coordinators, emergency response specialists, public health engineers, and disease ecologists, just to name a few.

In addition to being employed by the DHHS, public health professionals in Maine may work for academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private businesses, many of whom coordinate efforts with the DHHS.

Just a few of the specialists who focus their expertise on Maine’s burgeoning public health sector include:

Children’s Behavioral Health Services Clinical Social Worker: Combines clinical consultation, supervision, program oversight, and policy development to ensure that youth with behavioral health challenges receive the best services possible

Senior Planner: Provides professional services work in an assigned area, analyzing and reviewing work participation engagement of all ASPIRE participants

It is these professionals who oversee the many DHSS programs that serve to protect—through safety, health, security, and social programs—the citizens of Maine. Just a few of the recent public health efforts being carried out in Maine include:

The Maine Center for Disease Control Prevention (Maine CDC), part of the DHHS, is responsible for providing essential public health services that preserve, promote, and protect health. The Main CDC’s State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) focuses on six health priorities, with the first four priorities being subject-specific and the remaining two focused on the public health infrastructure:

Immunizations

Obesity

Substance abuse and mental health

Tobacco use

Inform, educate, and empower the public

Mobilize community partnerships

Maine’s needle exchange program has more than doubled in the last five years, according to the DHHS, pointing to the value of this public health services in the wake of the East Coast heroin epidemic. The report showed that Maine’s needle exchange program has increased by 225 percent in the last four years.

6 for ME is an educational quality improvement initiative focused on supporting Maine birth hospitals to adopt at least 6 of the 10 steps to successful breastfeeding, internationally recognized breastfeeding best practices that improve breastfeeding outcomes

Public Health Degree Programs in Maine

Education has long been an essential prerequisite for public health careers, both in Maine and throughout the U.S. Although a four-year college degree is still widely recognized as an entry-level requirement for professionals in public health, senior-level positions and career advancement frequently demand a graduate degree; more specifically, the Master of Public Health (MPH).

The MPH provides students with a solid foundation in the core areas of public health, which include: biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health, public health administration, and social and behavioral sciences, all of which are designed to provide a global perspective on public health.

Recent job descriptions for DHHS public health jobs in Maine reflect the trend toward advanced degree requirements and the MPH:

Regional Policy Specialist: Requires at least 6 years of education and/or experience in a social services setting

Director, Division of Licensing and Regulatory Services: Requires a master’s degree in public or business administration, healthcare administration, or a related field, along with experience in business, healthcare, or public administration/program management

Senior Planner: Requires a bachelor’s degree in public or business administration, social services, economics, or a related field

Director of Social Work: Requires a master’s degree in social work

Physician State Epidemiologist: Requires a 12-year combination of training and experience in medicine or public health, which must include either four years of experience as an epidemiologist or a master’s degree in public health and six years of experience in the field medicine or public health

Public health job descriptions for professionals outside of the DHHS demand similar educational requirements:

Public Health Project Manager, Analytic Insight: The ideal candidate will have a master’s degree of public health, social work, or a master’s or PhD in a field related to public health, program evaluation, or education

Field Practicum Coordinator, University of New England, Portland: Requires a master’s in public health

Maine’s Public Health Resources

Maine’s public health infrastructure includes state, community, and nonprofit organizations that collaborate to establish and maintain a public health network instead of the classic state model of multiple sub-state departments.